


The Last Airbenders

by spiketheespiegel



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 10:16:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29749008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiketheespiegel/pseuds/spiketheespiegel
Summary: As Zuko offers to become Aang's firebending teacher, Team Avatar is interrupted by an airbending stranger.
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/Original Character(s), Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 19





	The Last Airbenders

There were five of them, and they seemed to be in an argument.

A girl in all blue, with long flowing brown hair pointed a finger at a tall boy with shaggy dark hair. A scar in a reddish hue framed his left eye. He was looking down, as if in shame. Opposite of this confrontation was a small bald boy with a blue arrow on his forehead. He held a wooden cane, or perhaps it was a staff. A smaller girl sat next to him, her dark hair in her face. Her left hand rubbed her feet while her right hand was pressed firmly onto the stone ground. The last person, a boy with a sharp top knot clutched something white and curved in his right hand, and stood in a cautious stance. He looked between the girl in blue and the boy with the scarred eye.

I peered closer, and though I was completely silent, the smaller girl’s head whipped around, her wide eyes aimed directly at me. A second later I stumbled forward as the rock I was leaning on suddenly crumbled to sand.    
  


I started to fall, but caught myself before I tumbled entirely down the hill. The argument forgotten in the midst of my presence, everyone stood and faced me, ready for a fight.

“Um, hi,” I said meekly. I took a step forward. 

“Who are you?” one of them asked me fiercely.

“My name’s Vida,” I answered. “I didn’t mean to--”

“Are you Fire Nation?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m from a small Earth Kingdom village a few miles away. I… I come here, sometimes.” I gestured vaguely at the abandoned air temple. “I didn’t know anyone else knew about this place…”

No one spoke back for a while. The small girl, who now stood gingerly on her feet, nodded slightly to the others. 

“Are you a bender?” the boy with the topknot asked. I realized now that he was holding a boomerang. Its sharp edge gleamed in the little sunlight that peaked through the cool mist.

“No.”

The girl shook her head slightly. It was quiet for a moment. I could only hear the gentle wind and a couple of finches chirping nearby.

And then my feet and legs sunk—no, they were  _ swallowed _ \--by the earth, and my body was jerked forward down the hill and toward the five strangers.

“You’re lying,” the small girl said to me. Underneath her long black bangs, her large green eyes cloudy.

“I’m not,” I squeaked. Why was I so bad at lying?

“Who are you?” the bald kid sounded simultaneously curious and accusatory. His voice was still boyish yet authoritative. 

“I told you, I’m from a small village near here,” I said. I was beginning to feel the bruises on my legs within their dirt cocoon. “I’m nobody.”

“She’s not Fire Nation,” the small girl said to the others. “But she’s lying about being a bender.”

“Are  _ you _ … Fire Nation?” I asked, my breath hitching.

They looked at each other, most pointedly at the boy with the scar. Not a scar-- a burn.

“No,” the bald one answered. He frowned, but his overall expression softened. Perhaps they were used to meeting strangers who were also hiding from the Fire Nation...

“So you’re an earthbender?” The one with the top knot asked.

I shook my head. “No.”

“Water?” the small girl asked.

“No…”

“Fire?” the girl in blue peered at me. Up close I saw her clothes looked like something from a water tribe. The one with the boomerang had a similar style.

“No.”

“She’s not lying,” the small girl confirmed again with a sharp nod.

“Are you sure?” the water tribe boy questioned. “You just said she was lying about being a bender.”

She shrugged. “She  _ was _ !”

The bald boy was looking at me. “How did you get up here? To the temple.”

I paused before answering, slowing my breath. Slowing my pulse. “I climbed.”

“That’s a long climb,” the water tribe girl said with suspicion in her otherwise gentle voice.

I shrugged. “I’ve been doing it since I was a kid.”

A small rock hit me suddenly in the face. “Ow!”

“Toph!” the girl in blue shouted.

“Sorry! I wanted to see if she would have stopped it with her bending.”

“I don’t know, Toph, maybe you were wrong,” the boy with the topknot said. “You are injured, after all.”

“I know what I felt!”

For a moment they continued to squabble back and forth.  _ Think! _ What could I do to escape while they were distracted? Even if I could move my feet, the small girl would surely sense it… I needed a distraction. I noticed their half-unpacked camping area: a few sleeping bags, a dying campfire.

I carefully cupped the air in my hands. With a quick pulse of my palms, I shot forward a strong gust of wind. Huge flames shot up as the campfire suddenly roared to life.

While the five strangers jumped back in surprise and looked at the fire, I freed my feet and ran.

“Hey!” I heard the small girl shout after me. 

But I was too quick. Narrowly avoiding a bit of earth she shot up at me, I jumped from tree to tree, using my cape to steer as I flew. I heard some more shouts, and-- was that laughter? Why was someone laughing? No matter. Even if the rest of them were benders, I had too good of a head-start.

The laughter again. Was it getting closer?

I looked to my right and saw the bald kid flying next me, using his staff--now with red fans extended out on both ends--to glide through the air.

“You’re an airbender!” he shouted with glee.

“How are you doing that?” I shrieked.

“I’m the Avatar!”

My foot landed too harshly on a branch of the next tree. It snapped, and I fell.

I screamed but quickly drew focus. Mid-air, I formed a ball of air that I rode safely to the ground. The bald kid-- the  _ Avatar _ , apparently? --landed gracefully next to me. He shook his glider so that the fans retracted. A white lemur landed on his shoulder and peered at me with curiosity with big round eyes.

“You’re... the Avatar?” I asked, still catching my breath.

“Yep. I’m Aang. Wow, I can’t believe I’ve found another airbender!”

Thudding footsteps approached as the rest of Aang’s friends caught up with us.

“Vida’s an airbender!”

“An airbender… but how?” The girl in blue was staring at me. 

“Are there more? Is your entire family airbenders?” Aang’s wide eyes looked at me with anticipation.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I’m adopted. I’ve never met or even heard of other airbenders. I thought they were all killed decades ago. But I also thought the Avatar was gone, so who knows?” I shrugged, peering at them. I realized I was standing in a sort of defensive lunge, my arms hovering protectively in front of my torso.

No one spoke for a moment. My stomach rumbled loudly. “Sorry, I haven’t eaten,” I said.

“Why don’t we all go back to the camp? I could fry up some of the fish Sokka caught.”

“Thanks, but… I don’t eat meat, actually.”

“Really? Me either!” Aang said, his delight growing. 

“Is that an airbender thing?” the one with the topknot asked.

I shrugged. “No idea. My parents raised me eating meat, but when I was eight I decided to stop.”

“Huh.”

“Hey, I know,” I said. “Why do we go back to my house? I have enough food I could cook for us all.”

“That sounds great!” Aang’s enthusiasm was sweet but overwhelming.

“Well, it is a few miles away-- so it’s a bit of a walk...”

“No problem, I’ll call Appa,” Aang took a whistle from his pocket and blew. No noise came out.

“Who?” I asked. But my question was answered as a giant, fluffy white creature came into view overhead. It had six legs-- and an arrow on its head, just like Aang’s.

I gasped. “An air bison! I’ve only seen the drawings on the temple walls…”

“Appa, meet Vida!” Aang said, gesturing to me.

The great bison sniffed me, his wet nose tickling my forehead. I giggled. Then my entire face suddenly felt a warm dampness as Appa licked me with his big pink tongue. “Hey!” I shouted, wiping my face off. The others laughed at me. “Nice to meet you Appa.” I patted his arrowed forehead.

“And I’m Toph,” the small girl said. “Sorry for trapping you earlier.”

“No problem.”

“I’m Katara,” the other girl said, then gestured to the boy with the topknot. “And this is my brother, Sokka.”

“Hi. Are you all earthbenders, then?” 

Katara shook her head. “I’m a water bender.”

“No bending, but I am a soldier,” Sokka puffed up his chest.

The rest stared at the scarred boy, waiting for him to speak. Finally he did. “I’m Zuko,” he said softly. “I’m a fire bender.”

I felt my body tense. “I thought you said you weren’t Fire Nation,” I said. Zuko looked down again.

“I used to be,” he said. “But now I’ve joined the Avatar.”

Katara glared angrily at him. “Well, we were actually just discussing that before you got here, Vida.”

“I do need a fire bending teacher, Katara,” Aang said delicately.

“After all he’s done?” Katara said fiercely. “After what he  _ just _ did to Toph?”

“I’m sorry, it was an accident. I didn’t know it was her--”

“I’m through hearing your excuses, Zuko!”

“Aang’s right,” Toph said. “He needs a teacher.”

“But--” Katara was not convinced.

“I’m not happy he burned my feet, but it  _ was _ an accident. Now he just owes me.”

Zuko’s eyes were still lowered. “I do. At the very least. I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” Toph said. “And thank you Katara, for using your water bending to help heal them faster.”

Zuko looked up again, this time at Aang. “I do want to help you. I’m sorry for what I did in the past. I know I can’t ever pay for what I’ve done. But I want to teach you what I know. So you can defeat my father, and bring peace to our nations.”

Toph was applying a salve to her feet. “He’s not lying.”

Aang looked seriously at Katara. “I’m sorry, Katara,” he said. “But I really do need a fire bending teacher. And I don’t know if there’s anyone else I could get to teach me.”

Katara still did not look convinced but said nothing.

“Welcome to Team Avatar, Zuko!” Aang exclaimed, patting Zuko on the shoulder. Zuko looked pleased for a small moment before going back to brooding silently. “Now let’s eat!”

We all sat on a large brown saddle atop of Appa’s back. “Appa, yip yip!” Aang called out cheerfully. The moment we launched into the air I felt free; natural. I peered down at the abandoned air temple and across the rolling green hills. 

After catching my breath, I pointed to the west. “My village is just over there. We should be able to see it after going over these hills…” I was ecstatic. I was with the Avatar! I was with people who knew I was an airbender! 

At first I thought it was the smell of a campfire, because that is the only time I’ve smelled something burning before. But then the gray ash snowed down on us, and the smoke thickened as we approached my home.

The entire village was in embers.

“No…” I gasped. The air held no life. I could feel it. 

Someone’s hand grasped mine. Katara’s wide, knowing eyes stared back at me. She’s seen this before. “The Fire Nation. We have to go. I’m sorry.”

“I was just there. A few hours ago…” How could it be gone, and so quickly? Why wasn’t I there? “Can’t we help…?”

“No.” Zuko’s voice came from behind me. It was firm, but not unkind. “It’s too late. I’m sorry.”

I believed them, but at the same time I didn’t believe them. I wanted to go with them, but I couldn’t abandon the people I’ve known my entire life. “No,” I said. “I can’t just leave.”

I looked at them all, my would-be friends; people who would understand me and teach me.

I jumped off Appa.

“No!” I heard Katara call after me.

I extended my arms and pressed my legs together in a straight line. My cloak expanded and rippled in the fierce wind. As natural as walking, as practiced as shooting an arrow, I glided smoothly and steadily down towards my burning village.

I wondered, vaguely, if they--the Avatar and his friends--would follow me. But why would they? They didn’t know me. No one else in my life seemed to stick around for long.

I landed in what used to be the market and used my cloak to shield my face. With what clean air I could find, I created a bubble of oxygen around my nose and eyes. 

I saw a couple of charred bodies-- was that the butcher? was that the farmer who always gave me her extra peaches and apricots? --but mostly, it seemed empty. I hoped that meant that people evacuated, or else found a way to flee the Fire Nation’s clutches in time.

I ran to my parent’s house-- a small one-story home. It was in flames, just like everything else. It felt as if a rock had sunk to the bottom of my stomach. I, their only daughter, could not even protect their home after everything they’d done for me.

I felt tears stream down my face. I lost my concentration, and then lost control of the oxygen bubble I had bended. I sobbed and gasped, overwhelmed and choking on the smoke that rushed into my lungs. My eyes and nostrils stung.

I felt a gentle pressure on my shoulder. A soft voice was in my right ear. “We have to go, Vida.”

“Wait,” I stood. “I need to get something.”

“There’s no time--”

I ran into the house. It was black with smoke--then suddenly, it cleared up slightly, so I could see just enough.

“What are you looking for?” I realized it was Zuko’s voice coming from behind me. “This place will collapse soon.”

“This way.” Zuko followed me into what was left of my old room. I crouched down and pulled it out from underneath my bed: the staff I had found in the air temple.

“Okay, let’s go,” I gasped to Zuko. He led the way, keeping the fire and smoke at bay.

Outside of the house, I saw his face was black with soot. His breathing was hitched. “Do you think you can airbend us out of here?”

I nodded. “Grab on.” He held my waist firmly. I shook the staff, and purple fans emerged from both ends-- just as I had observed Aang do earlier. I launched Zuko and I into the air.

“You just need to go straight up,” His voice was weak. “They’re waiting for us.” 

“Over here, Vida!” I heard Aang call out.

I was blind from the tears and smoke, but maneuvered toward Aang’s voice. 

“I’m sorry,” I heard Zuko’s anguished, rapsy whisper as we landed harshly on Appa’s back.

I gasped for air, and passed out.

When I awoke, I was back at the air temple. I had been tucked into a sleeping bag. The campfire was dead. The others were scattered around it, still asleep. I took a few deep breaths. My lungs twinged a bit, but nothing too bad. 

I needed to be alone. Quietly, I slipped out of my sleeping bag. It was lying next to me-- the staff I had salvaged from my burning home. Carefully, I picked it up. It was light, but sturdy. I shook it. With ease, the purple fans emerged at the top and bottom. How had I never figured this out before?

I raised the glider above my head, and jumped off the temple.

I flew, so much freer and easier than I had ever done with my cloak. With a twitch of my arm, I could maneuver through the air currents; I could sense the vibrations of nearby trees and wildlife.

I began descending, at first aimlessly, and then with purpose. I landed near a small lake, one that before I would only go to if I had the energy to walk to. I took off my outer clothes, and dove in.

The water was cool, but not freezing. I floated on my back, my long hair fanning out around my head. Through the gaps of tree branches, the warm sun beamed down on me. A water skater darted past my arm. I closed my eyes.

My village was gone. Everyone I knew was gone. I had only seen a few bodies, which was horrific enough... Fire ate everything, so who else succumbed to its wrath?

Yet...

The Avatar was alive. Another  _ airbender _ was alive. What if I, no matter how small, could be a small piece of the puzzle that brought peace to our world? To make sure the Fire Nation was never able to burn down another village again?

I submerged my head underwater. I formed an air bubble around my mouth and nose. I gazed at the fish around me. Their bulbous eyes bulged at me in fright, but swam past once they realized I wasn’t a threat. The water soothed my raw, red eyes.

The sun was bright when I emerged from the water. I put on my clothes. They, and my hair, quickly dried once I was back in the air.

Only Katara was awake when I returned to the air temple.

“I thought you’d gone,” she said. She was making tea.

“I just went for a swim,” I said. She handed me a cup. “And to test that out,” I gestured to the glider.

“Where did you get that?” she asked.

“I found it here, years ago. One of the only things that was left. I didn’t know what it was, not until yesterday when I saw Aang with his.”

“How are you?” she asked gently. “I tried to heal you and Zuko, but I’m not sure how to treat smoke inhalation…”

I took a sip of tea, and it warmed me instantly. “I’m okay. Breathing hurts a little, but not too bad. How’s Zuko?”

“I think he’s okay, but I think he breathed in more smoke than you did.”

“Why did he go after me?”

“Honestly, who knows why Zuko does what he does…” Katara trailed off, frowning. “I want to believe that he’s had a change of heart, but he’s lied to us before.”

I nodded and took another sip. We sat next to each other in silence for a while.

“I love airbending,” I said. “But I’ve always wanted to be a water bender.”

“Really?”

“Yes. There’s something about water… It just feels so natural to me. I was always a strong swimmer. It’s silly, but…”

“What?”

I blushed. “When I was a little kid, I thought I might be the Avatar. You know, like maybe I just needed a teacher and then I would learn waterbending.”

“That’s not silly. For a hundred years, no one had any idea what had happened to the Avatar. Besides, Aang needed teachers for the other elements. He  _ still _ needs a firebending teacher.”

“So, that’ll be Zuko?” I asked.

Katara sighed. “I guess so. I don’t trust him, but what else can we do?” She refilled our cups. “If it means anything...” She began carefully. “Sokka and I went through something really similar to what you did. Our village was attacked by the Fire Nation, and they killed our mother.”

“I’m sorry...” I said.

“Are your parents--?”

I shook my head. “They’re dead.” She looked surprised, and quickly I explained. “I mean, they died years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. And thanks, for healing me.”

“Of course.”

The others began to wake up. I helped Katara prepare breakfast. “I owe you all a meal anyway!” I tried to be light-hearted, but I think I just made everyone sad. I smiled weakly at their concerned faces. “Uh, I’ll make some more tea...”

Once stewed, I poured a new cup. I walked over to Zuko and handed it to him. He looked surprised. 

“Thanks.” His voice was still weak.

“You’re welcome. And thank you for helping me back in my village.”

He lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry that happened.”

“Me too.”

He took a sip. He smiled.

“What?”

“It’s good. It reminds me of my uncle, he’s obsessed with tea. He would like it. He would like you.”

I blushed. “Well, I’m glad. As long as he’s not one of the people who burned down my village.”

Zuko frowned. “He wasn’t. He’s good, better than me. But I don’t know where he is…”

“Well, hopefully you’ll see him again. How’s your throat? Is it hard to breathe?”

“It’s not so bad. Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

Around the campfire, we all ate together. For the first time in a long time, I felt like a kid. I felt like I had friends.

We all laughed as the lemur-- I learned his name was Momo --snuck up behind Sokka and stole some of his berries. Toph told me how she began teaching Aang earthbending. Katara described what her water tribe village looked like.

And then it was time for Aang’s first firebending lesson.

I wanted to watch, but didn’t want to overstep my welcome. Instead, I explored the temple one last time. I looked at the same murals, the same ruinous rooms.

When I came back to our campsite, both Aang and Zuko looked dejected.

“How’d it go?” I asked gently.

“Bad,” Zuko said sullenly.

“It wasn’t that bad--” Aang started.

“I can’t bend,” Zuko said. “I can barely make a spark anymore.”

“Maybe it’s your injuries,” I said.

“Did you have any problems airbending?” He asked me angrily.

“No,” I admitted. Katara was silently glaring at Zuko. I knew what she was thinking: was this a trick?

From far off, there was the sound of something moving in the wind. Something big.

“What is that?” I asked.

“What?” Sokka asked.

But I could tell Aang could hear it too. And soon enough, everyone else could hear it.

A giant balloon appeared. It was red, with the Fire Nation insignia.

“Azula,” Sokka said. “My sister.”

“We have to leave,” Katara said fiercely. “Now.”

A ball of fire soared through the sky towards us. We scattered before it made impact.

A moment later, I saw a figure jump from the balloon towards us. A girl a little bit younger than me. She was muscular and beautiful, a triumphant glint in her eyes. Her smooth dark hair was pulled back into a short ponytail. 

She aimed her next blow towards Aang, but he was ready. He sprung into the air before the fireball could even graze him. 

Impatient, Azula harnessed blue lightning and directed at Aang’s heart. Aang jumped aside just in time.

“No!” Zuko handled the lightning with his hands, and directed it away. It struck a nearby structure, causing rock to crumble down over us.

“Oh, Zuko,” Azula mocked. With a flick of her hand, she blew him back with a fireball. “Always getting in the way.”

But she wasn’t a match for all of them together.

Toph trapped her body with earth, like she did to my legs when we first met. When Azula broke free, she was not quick enough for Katara’s water whip. She was blasted back, over the side of the temple, aided by the strong gust of air that Aang conjured. 

“We have to leave,” Katara repeated. 

Quickly we ran towards Appa, but Zuko was still knocked out. I conjured the air to lift him and levitate his body toward us.

“How do we know that he wasn’t working with Azula this whole time?” Sokka called out to me.

“He wasn’t,” I said firmly, though I wasn’t sure why I thought this.

The air lifted him to join the rest of us on the air bison’s back. “Appa,” Aang shouted. “Yip yip!”

Azula, now back on the balloon, launched some haphazard fireballs in our direction. But she was too far away; the balloon too slow.

I looked at the land below us. The last time I would ever see the air temple ruins, my burned village, and the rolling golden hills that surrounded them both.

Appa landed us in a shady forest of redwood trees. Katara helped me carry Zuko down to the ground. She glared down at his body.

“Do you think you can heal him?” I asked.

“Yes, of course I can,” she hissed.

We placed him on the grass nearby. With her flask of water, Katara began tending to Zuko’s wounds.

Everyone was tense as we made camp again. We did not make a fire, in case Azula or her cronies were nearby.

We were all restless, but eventually everyone fell asleep except for me. I leapt into one of the trees. The rough bark felt good beneath my bare feet and fingers. I watched a squirrel scurry around the branches. I gazed up at the bright half-moon and the twinkling white stars in the deep navy night sky. I wondered if the moon stared down at me like how I stared up at it.

A spark of fire from below.

I jumped down, ready to fight. But Azula wasn’t there.

It was Zuko. He stood far away from the others, who were all still sleeping.

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

“Nothing.” He sat down, angry.

“You can’t firebend still,” I said. I sat down next to him.

He nodded.

“What’s changed? What’s different from the last time you were able to bend?”

“I guess… joining the Avatar.”

I nodded, and thought. “Okay… Okay. So, what did you feel, when you were able to firebend?”

Zuko looked at me. “What did I  _ feel _ ?”

“Yeah! I don’t know. Like, when I airbend… Sometimes I feel rage, but I’m most powerful when I have purpose. When I feel free, and joyful.”

Zuko looked at his hands. “I guess I felt… Rage, like you said. And… shame. And anger.”

“Hmm…”

“What?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “Maybe you just aren’t as mad as you used to be. As... ashamed.”

“So you’re saying I need to be more angry and ashamed?”

“I’m saying, maybe you need to find another emotion to tap into.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly I felt very sleepy. I yawned. 

“I’m going to try to sleep,” I said, walking back to our campsite. “Try not to be so stressed, Zuko.”

“And how do you suggest I do that?”

I smiled. “Try thinking of something that makes you happy.”

I climbed into my sleeping bag. I fell asleep easily. I felt warm, even without the campfire.

When I rose the next morning, Zuko was the only one awake. He noticed me stirring, and handed me a cup of tea.

“My uncle’s recipe,” he explained. “Or at least, as close as I could get.”

“Thanks,” I said, surprised. I took a sip. A brilliant combination of fresh ginger, roasted rice, lemon, and matcha. “It’s really lovely, Zuko.”

He blushed. Then he said, “You were right.”

“About what?”

He overturned his right hand, and a gentle orange flame erupted from his palm. “I needed to refocus my concentration.”

I smiled. “Well, if you're half as good as firebending as you are at making tea, you’ll make a great teacher for Aang.”

Zuko blushed a little more. “I hope so.”


End file.
